Inscrit le: 14 Fév 2007
Messages: 590
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I think the series is getting better and better. It thrives on the funny, adventurous, or uncanny parings of pop culture characters and the crossovers are getting more entertaining as they get more audacious! It is interesting to see how many of the stories are now showing the shadowy influence of the Black Coats.
"Long Live Fantomas" - I don't know enough about the villain to fully appreciate this take on his origin, but the story is a doozy. The sheer evil of the "original" and (even more) the new Fantomas are very well handled. The shadowy presence of the Black Coats is a nice addition, and there is even another twist on the story of history's first recorded serial killer.
"Next!" - I once read a humorous list of Star Trek words which included this entry: "Kirk - v. 1) to bend to the point of breaking the Prime Directive, as 'We really Kirked that planet.' 2) To bed multifarious members of the opposite sex from as many humanoid species as possible." (It was fun to see the good Captain out-kirked for once.)
"Au Vent Mauvais" - A fun riff on third generation wannabe master villains. The story manages to be both funny and chilling as it gives us an idea of just how poisonous Madame Atomos' obsessive hatred is.
"Return to the 20th Century" combines the science fiction of two eras into a funny, fast moving adventure. It's amazing how good a story making creative use of the silly science of bygone generations can be!
"Les Levres Rouges" Win's sequel to "the Eye of Oran" drifts into the erotic horror of Hammer studios. It's "Doc Savage meets the lesbian vampire mistress of the undead elder servitors from the bottom of the sea." Win manages to make a bewildering array of diverse elements come together to good effect.
"Beware the Beasts" - A nifty short encounter between Doctor Omega and the inhabitants of possibly the most famous planet in French SF. Short and funny!
"The Ape Gigans" An amazingly creative combination of characters. A willful heroine/villainess of a perior romance meets the King of Skull Island and the prehistoric horrors from the canter of the earth! Not only does this make me (really) want to read THE ELDRICH ADVENTURES OF BECKY SHARP, and even makes me want to read VANITY FAIR(!)
"A Dance of Night and Death" - We know a lot about the sorts of things that Irma Vep does, but this is the first glimps I can remember of her inner workings as she has an intense encounter with the dread Fantomas.
"The Lady in the Black Gloves" Like Rick's other stories, this tale of false identities in intricately plotted with subtle references galore. Even to someone unfamiliar with the characters he is using, this is a good creepy mystery as we look as the sordid and sadistic side of the European underworly. (It isn't all glamorous plots to control civilization.)
"The Murder of Randolph Carter" A hilarious take on the country house murder mystery with Hercule Poirot in far over his little gray cells!
"A Day in the Life of Madame Atomos" A brilliant comic piece about the evil madame Atomos which pays homage to the silly spy romps of the early 1970's. The story works well throughout and the last paragraph is priceless!
"Bullets Over Bombay" A Bollywood style adventure of Dr. Mystere. I have to confess, I found the conbination of musical numbers and a slaughtered village unsettling. I'm squeamins about high body counts among innocent bystandrs and that impaired my appreciation for the story. On the other hand, the glimpse of Dr. Mystere is very interesting.
"All's Fair..." When all the mystery men in Paris are interested in the same woman on the same night... A fun and humerous debut for Brad. Nice job.
"The Affair of the Bassin Les Hivers" Michael Moorcock! Michael Moorcock! Michael Moorcock! Yaaaooohhhh! Michael Moorcock's in TOTS! (aHEM) It may show that I spend too much time reading Jess' sites but I have become a huge fan of the albino villain. It was great to see him handled so well here.
"The Successful Failure" - A clever caper mystery with the unlikely but very likable pairing of Beautrelet and Bigglesworth on the case. A very enjoyable adventure.
"The Butterfly Files" - A nice paranoid short piect that gives us a fascinating (and disturbing) look at Madame Atomos before the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. War warps people's souls, but some are pretty twisted to start with.
"The Famous Ape" - I remember the Babar stories vaguely but fondly (my one big quibble was that they were written in cirsive.) As an adult I've heard them criticized as being pro colonialism, and that may be Chris' starting point. The result can be disturbing as we see political realities played out in the traditionally unrealistic and non-political world of children's stories. Ultimately though I really liked this. Chris isn't doing this to disturb and offend the way some revisionist authors seem to. He is provoking thought and feeling but does it in a way that is compassionate and, in the end, touching.
"Two Hunters" Judex is probably my favorite Shadowmen character and this story does well by him. The meeting of our two heroes is perfectly logical and fits well into both of their histories. It's also a ripping good adventure.
"The Child Stealers" This was (IMO) every bit as involving as the first chapter and more exciting. It was great getting to see so much of Gregory Temple and John Devil in this one, and the mionc characters included are brilliant and subtle. I am also amazed at how smoothly Stableford has moved from the voice of Ned Knob to that of Temple. The two characters are extremely different but he handles each with equal insight and sympathy.
Matthew Baugh |
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